Always With You - HIATUS
by Fae 206
Summary: After Kuon passes away, Kyoko finds her life much more draining and depression without her husband and father to their daughter. Four months after the funeral, Kyoko takes Maria's advice and goes to a magic-user. When a tiny blond tabby cat with emerald eyes appears on her doorstep following Kyoko takes care of the cat but will she realize that Kuon's spirit is inside the feline?
1. Chapter 1 - The End

**AN:** Apparently, to me you can never have enough Skip Beat fics. Lol, I think I have between thirty and forty ongoing ones right now but I really wanted to write this as it combines two of my fave things (me torturing Kuon a little bit and human to animal transformations). There is no bestiality in this fic but there are a lot of complicated feelings and memories.

I am slowly working on my other fics so thank you so much for your patience 😊 Retail work is hard right now.

 **Always With You**

 **Chapter One – The End**

I hate today already. I can't bear the pain of coming to the cemetery or the funeral home. I don't want to bury my husband, the father of our daughter, but I have to. I want to honor his life. He was sick for such a long time and Ana had to watch that. She had to watch her father get sicker and sicker from stomach cancer until he died in a hospital bed just a couple of weeks before he would have turned twenty-nine.

Ana is my four year old and she looks very similar to her grandmother, her maternal grandmother to be more correct. I feel so lucky to have a little girl like her who has Kuon's spirit inside of her. I am begging for her to keep on remembering him though maybe that's a wish that won't be granted.

Kuon's last words to me were to be happy and safe and live to my hearts content and not to let anger or revenge sway me. He knows me far too well. He asked Ana to make him a promise to try to find happiness in life and to lean on me or her grandparents if she needs help with that. He told her he was proud of her and proud that he had the chance to be his father.

When they finally said the time of death, I was a little happy that he didn't have to suffer through the pain anymore but mostly, it was the pain that was like needles into my chest. I have never felt more suffocated than I did then.

I see the open coffin and I just start bawling like a small child. Kuon was too precious for this world. I don't know what I'm going to do now. I don't know how I'm going to live without him. Father puts his hand on my back though tears are running down his own cheeks and I see his body shake as he sees the corpse of his own biological son. I turn so I can break down in his arms and then turn towards where the still and lifeless body of my husband is.

"I'm so sorry that I couldn't save you, my prince," I tell him as I nervously put a hand on that ice cold body. He's so gorgeous still. Even in death, he's gorgeous. I can't believe that I'll never see those emerald eyes again. As I know that I have to get ready to deliver the eulogy, I kiss his lifeless lips before pulling back, my own tears dropping onto his corpse. "I love you, Kuon," I tell him again and Father leads me to our seats. Julie is also breaking at this.

I really don't know what I'm going to do without him. I bow my head and wait. Life seems empty now but I have to keep going for Ana and I. She is a living part of Kuon and I need to take care of her, she's my daughter too and the most important gift that Kuon left with me.

…

…

It's June now, four months since the death of my husband and next month we will be celebrating Ana's fifth birthday. Although I've motivated myself enough to be a good mother to Ana, I can't bear to go back to acting. Ren had been my main inspiration as an actor, he was the guide that I would always look up to but no matter how many projects I take on, no matter how many studios or sets I go to, he won't be there. He'll never be there.

My phone buzzes and I dry my eyes before looking at the text that I received. I still can't think of him without breaking down. He was my husband for six years. That's over half a decade. In fact, I've pretty much known him for a decade if you put together that summer we were kids together. He knew me inside and out and I knew him the same. We would always miss one another if we hadn't seen the other for a few hours. He was my tether to this world and now I feel that I'm floating.

I look at a location that Maria has sent me. She tells me that there's some place that has fairies and magic both dark and light magic and that I should pay it a visit. I don't know why I should. Kuon wasn't killed in some freak accident where magic was involved, he died of an illness that he had suffered with for twenty long months. We all knew that he was most likely going to die.

Still, would it really hurt to pay these people a visit just to tell Maria that i have. I glance at the time on her phone, i have enough time to go to this place and then pick Ana up from school. I'll do that because it would beat waiting here and thinking about Kuon. i look at the text again before picking up a bag that used to belong to Kuon and that he'd take with him. I've made sure that I have a small bag that had a few memories of my husband and go for the door.

Am I crazy to be going there?

Well, I can tell Maria that I've taken her advice and that would be enough. That would have to be enough.

…..

…..

I feel completely surprised when I arrive at the location. I had been expecting some kind of dark magic store that looked like a souvenir or gift shop but not this. I look around at the different animals in cages and feel out of place and alien to this new environment. What is Maria doing by instructing me to go here? I take another scan of the cages with the animals in and see that there are crosses on some of them with pictures of a person hanging from them.

Were these pets to comfort those who had lost somebody? If Maria had been thinking that getting an animal was the right thing to do then why not suggest that to me directly?

As I hear the bell on the door ring, a woman with purple colored hair tied back in a ponytail steps out o behind the counter. She looks at me and in only a number of seconds, her expression has turned mournful. "Oh, my dear," she begins and I wartch her. It's nice that this woman doesn't seem to recognize me. "I am so so sorry for your loss. It's always hard to lose a soulmate isn't it?"

I look at her. Maybe she does recognize me or maybe I just give off the air of a widow who is still grieving for her late husband. I nod. "Did someone tell you…."

"Your bag," she gestures and I look at her nervously. I pull the bag closer to me. This used to be Kuon's, I'm not going to let her do it any damage. This is precious to me. Kuon used it to carry around his scripts and the bentos that I made for him. I blink sadly but hold it closer to me. "There is another bag inside of it holding four items, I can tell you what those items are."

I stare at her. What is she talking about? What does she know?

"Okay," I challenge her, "Tell me."

"There is the stone that your husband gave you when you were children. There is the chain from his father that he wore around his neck since he was seventeen and forgot that he had brought it with him. There is the watch that his friend wore when he died. Lastly, there is the wedding ring that you gave him when he became your husband."

I freeze. How could she know that? I look around, staring at a chicken next to a pig. This store really does have a wide assortment of different animals. I take a deep breath in and nod. I take out the bag but hold it to my heart. I don't know what I'd do were these precious items to disappear. "These are…" I begin but she cuts me off.

"I know, very sacred and precious items to you. I wish you no harm but if I could see them," she says and I place them down on the counter. I close my eyes and as I open them she is holding an empty jar and the items have been laid out on the counter. I feel nervous seeing them there. The woman sees me and places the jar down, tightening the lid on top. She carefully puts the items into the bag and hands it to me.

"You will soon get a visitor," she tells me and I raise an eyebrow. "They will bring you what you really want."

I shake my head. Nobody can give me what I really want because no one can bring my husband back from the dead.

The woman leans forward again, "The visitor will come within the next week, you should pick your daughter up from school," she says before disappearing into the back and I feel I have no choice but to accept the suggestion.

…..

…..

I won't tell anyone apart from Maria about that baffling event that happened. I feel a little stupid about going and I definitely won't tell Ana. She wouldn't understand anyway and I don't want to mislead her. She's been a little quiet since Kuon passed away and I don't want her to get any strange ideas in her head or think that there's any possibility of Kuon coming back.

I grin down to her as I hold her hand and we walk to the front door of our house that has been so lonely without Kuon here. "So," I try to smile, "What do you think we should have for dinner?" I ask her and she hums before stopping, "Ana?"

"Kitty!" Ana squeals and she rushes forward. I blink before looking up. There's a tiny cream tabby kitten on the doorstep. He has one paw on the door and is on his hind legs, the other paw seems to be desperately trying to reach the door knob. This must be a neighbor's cat and there must be a spider or something on the doorknob.

"Ana, honey," I call out to her, "Leave the kitten alone, she's probably one of the neighbor's cats," I tell her and she looks back at me before nodding and just watches the kitten. She comes over to Ana and starts to paw at her legs before starting to rub her side against them. I see that Ana is excited for this kitten to be paying her attention.

The kitten finally sees me and instead of running away, she comes over to me and starts mewing in a high pitch to me. I freeze as I see the same emerald eyes that match Kuon's. It makes it hard for me to ignore her. "Hi, sweetie," I whisper as I kneel down and the cat rubs her head against my cheek. "You're a cute girl aren't you?" I ask her and the kitten turns from one side to the other as if a child checking for traffic at a crosswalk. "You're too sweet to be out here alone with no collar," I rub her back and she mews again before purring and nuzzling me. "Let's find out who you belong to."

"Mommy," Ana calls out and I turn to look at her, "The kitty was in a box, it says To Hizuri Kyoko," she announces and I sigh. Maria probably went back to the store after I had left to get me a pet. I sigh. She has good intentions and the cat is rather cute. I look at her. Should I return her? We aren't really prepared for a kitten but it might ease the sadness from the loss of one very important person from our family.

"Let's take her inside then," I smile to Ana. "Want to come with me?" I ask and the kitten looks at me and mews and without any struggle, I pick her up and hold her close to my chest. I manage to slip my shoes off and unlock the door without putting the kitten down. "Well," I tell her as I kiss the very furry top of her head. "I guess this is your new home."

"We get to keep her?" Ana asks excitedly and I nod.

"We get to keep her," I reply as the kitten's eyes softly fall to a close.

 **End of Chapter One**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**


	2. Chapter 2 - Out of the Box

**AN:** I probably won't update this again until it's in turn for update but because it uses two different perspectives, I really wanted to write this part 😊 Also it's not a continuation of any other fics but a standalone fic.

 **Chapter Two – Out of the Box**

Maybe saying this would scare some people and I'm not trying to encourage anybody to try it but death isn't as painful as I thought it would be. At least in my case, the illness was far worse. Death was just the process of letting go. It was sad to say goodbye to my family, to know that my daughter most likely wouldn't keep memories of me but I trust her in Kyoko's hands.

I don't know how long it's been but for days it's as if I've been walking through a thick fog. I feel as if I'm free from my human body and as if I'm just some kind of spirit making the trek to the afterlife. Probably days, since it really is just a heavy white mist, there's no telling of when the equivalent of either day or night is. Time seems to be moving slowly.

I'm starting to wonder about the existence of God. There could be one but I haven't met them yet. The living always question the afterlife but I don't think that they imagined all this white, all this solitude, all this…nothing.

I blink as there's a white light ahead of me. Is this where I enter the gates of heaven? Has judgment already been cast upon my soul? I'm rather surprised that I _am_ entering heaven rather than the other side. However, as I get nearer, I see a jar that is glowing with a powerful energy. I reach out for it and although sometimes you have to resist magic, I open it and suddenly there is darkness. Black. I just failed the test didn't I?

The air around me is tightening and I feel as if I'm plummeting. I attempt to struggle from the darkness but my body seems smaller and my hand is joined together, I feel warmer and I'm starting to wonder if these are the fires of hell that people sometimes refer to in classical literature.

I struggle to get out, maybe I can save myself. I somehow manage to touch something like wood and I use my head to push it open. I freeze as I look around. I'm home but home is so big now. I push up my hands and see that instead of having hands they are paws. Paws? "Hello?" I call out but even though I heard myself use words, what I hear around me are the mews from a kitten.

It starts to come together in my head. The paws of an animal. The sounds of a kitten. Is this reincarnation? Have I been reincarnated as a cat? I look around. This is the house that Kyoko and I bought together and I try to focus on what I can say to her, how I can tell her it's me.

 _Kyoko, I don't know what's happening, princess, but I'm glad to be home._

I try to say those words a couple of times but just hear the echo of my own meows. I won't be able to communicate with her anymore, not with words at least. I run to the window by the front door and look at myself. I'm just a baby cat but now I can see that I _am_ a kitten. It's scary being in this body but I don't feel pain right now. It's nice to be able to breathe without pain. I wish that I was human but maybe this was the only way that I could come back to life.

Maybe if I got inside, I would be able to write something to her or at least find a method to tell her who I am. I go to the door and manage to lean my body against it, my back legs pushing me off the ground and I stare at the door handle. It's so far above me. I jump but can't get anywhere near it. I study it again and stretch one of my front paws up as if a small child reaching for something on a high shelf. Maybe the fact that I'm back here is actually a punishment. To have to watch my wife from the body of a cat. To see my daughter grow up thinking her father isn't with her. Those aren't things to feel happy about.

I still attempt to reach the handle when I hear a voice behind me, "Kitty!" she calls out and I turn to see Ana, short for Anastasia, running over to me. I want to be able to scoop her up in my arms and kiss her like I always do. I don't think I can do anything close to that in _this_ body.

Kyoko speaks next and I feel my heart beat heavily in my chest as I look at her. She's completely dressed in black and gray with a bag that used to be the bag that I carried with me. She still looks heartbroken and I want to make her feel better. I want her to know that I came back and I can be with her again, well be with her as much as I can in this little body.

"Ana, honey," Kyoko says, "Leave the kitten alone. She's probably one of the neighbor's cats."

I freeze. _She_? Well I'm not surprised that she doesn't understand that I was once her human husband but she actually thinks that I'm a girl. Should I be surprised though? She has no idea who I am and now I'm starting to feel even more scared about my new form. I was excited to have a chance at life again but it seems to be taken from me.

No. I should make the best of this. I use my small paws to tap my daughter's knee but she just looks at me as if I'm some cute animal. I guess this is all that I can be seen as now. As she puts a hand on my head I try to get into my role. Maybe acting like a cat is what is best for now. I rub myself against her legs, wanting to be as close to her as possible.

Kyoko makes a movement and as much as I adore Ana, I have to get closer to Kyoko. She's the woman that I'll always love more than any other person. I rush towards her. _Kyoko, princess I came back. Please look at me. Please know it's me._ I try to tell her but again it's just a series of mews. I look up at her as we make eye contact and she kneels in front of me.

"Hi, sweetie," she says affectionately and it scares me that the idea is now in my mind that she will _only_ see me as a pet from this moment onwards. I rub my head on her cheek. I can't kiss her but I want to be as close as possible. "You're a cute girl, aren't you?" she asks and I try to shake my head. Somehow she doesn't notice this. "You're too sweet to be out here alone with no collar."

She gently rubs my back and it feels amazing. It's like when she gave me massages after I got back from chemo because they made me feel better. This is just one hand but it's amazing. _Kyoko, I'm so sorry for leaving_. I apologize but no luck, just some more meows. I feel myself purring without meaning to and I nuzzle her neck. I want to be as close as possible to her right now. "Let's find out who you belong to."

"Mommy," Ana calls out and I'm too busy nuzzling Kyoko's neck to look back at her. "The kitty was in a box, it says to Hizuri Kyoko." I do the kitten equivalent of smiling as I hear that. So, somehow I have been delivered back home and I'm now in my wife's possession. I don't want to be anywhere else. Please don't take me back to a pet shop or anything like that.

"Let's take her inside then," she tells Ana and then pays me attention again. "Want to come with me?" she asks and I try to tell her that I definitely want that, but it's no surprise that it's just meowing. I feel incredibly happy as Kyoko slides one hand under my belly and one under my butt, holding me closer to her. Kyoko opens the door and the first thing that I see is a shelf where there is a picture of me as a human and then a picture of the three of us and in the middle a picture from our wedding. There are also numerous beads and gems and on a rose colored and rose shaped dish is Princess Rosa.

She has sealed it away behind glass doors but it's amazing how much she cares for me. I look at the case. There's no urn. Aren't most people in Japan cremated? Why wouldn't she cremate my body? Is _that_ why I'm back here?

Kyoko keeps me close to her chest as if somewhere inside of her, she knows that it's me. "Well," she kisses the top of my head and I'm surprised. She's willing to get fur in her mouth to kiss me? "I guess this is your new home."

I let my body relax. At least I'm not out on the street.

"We get to keep her?" Ana asks excitedly and I really want to correct them. I'm a male cat, at least I hope that I'm a male cat.

Kyoko gently replies, "We get to keep her."

With that, my body is relaxed enough so that I can fall asleep. Her body is warm and I finally feel at home. Now, I just have to find a way for me to become human again and I'll need to become human again. If I became a cat then I just need my spirit to go into my old body although I am worried that that will just cause me to be sick again and next time I might not have the chance to be with my family. Still, Kyoko's chest is very warm and I'm happy here…for now.

…

…

I feel a little more coherent as I wake up and give a yawn as I arch my back but sadly it comes out as a tiny squeak. I look up from what I am guessing is a picnic basket and see Kyoko peering through one of the gaps at me. "You finally woke up, cutie," she says and I wonder where she's taken me. I sniff the place and sense that there are other animals here. It's as if one of the smells is registering that there are dogs nearby and my body gets tense as if out of instinct.

"You can come out in a little bit," Kyoko tells me before she sits back. I yawn again and close my eyes. I don't know why I'm in here but I trust Kyoko to keep me safe. I hear something that sounds like Kyoko's name being called and the basket is moved once again.

"You can open the basket now," I hear a woman tell her and Kyoko gently does as I blink at the light. Where are we now? This isn't home. "Let's wait for her to sense that it's safe to come out on her own, you're a precious little girl aren't you?" the woman says and I blink up at her.

I'm at a vet's aren't I? I can see from the items around me and the uniform that she's wearing that this is a vet. I suppose I'll have to get accustomed to going to see a vet instead of a human practitioner. I slowly poke my head out of the basket before jumping on the table and looking around. I sniff the air again.

"Aww, she really is a cutie," the vet says. "Hello, little one, this will only take a moment," she says as she takes my body and lays me on my back. I try to reach my paw up but she soothes me before laughing a little. Did I do something funny without realizing it? "I think this is the first thing that we have to change," she says and Kyoko blinks confused.

"Is something wrong with her?" she asks nervously. The vet puts a hand to my chest and tries to keep me down.

"Exactly that," she tells Kyoko, "This kitten is a little boy."

Kyoko blushes as she looks at me before nodding, her eyes focusing on my lower region as she's told this.

 **End of Chapter Two**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter One**

H-Nala, Kaname671, paulagato

 **Author Response:**

No, Kuon will (at least for right now) stay as a kitten but Kyoko will eventually find out the truth about him having Kuon's spirit and understanding her. I like writing sad things although I would put this closer to Baby Fever with the actual story. Anyway, thank you for the support.


	3. Chapter 3 - All About an Apron

**Chapter Three – All About an Apron**

I take a deep breath in as I hold Cain close to me. That's what Ana and I decided to name the kitten. He doesn't much look like a Cain with his adorable cream coat and his emerald eyes but hopefully this name keeps him safe just as Cain was able to keep Setsu safe. The vet asked me whether I wanted to neuter Cain and I decided not to for the moment. I'm not putting a chip in him either. Maybe I haven't fully committed myself to being a cat owner.

Ana and I have been taking Cain to a lot of different stores to get a place for him to sleep, food for him to eat, toys for him to play with. I can imagine Corn and Ana playing with Cain together. I always loved when I was able to see Kuon's more childlike self. He would have enjoyed being able to own a cat. He really loved nature and animals.

"Ana, you go and show Cain around the house, okay?" I ask as I pick up most of the items we bought and go towards the house. "I'm going to get dinner started."

"Cain gets dinner too," Ana tells me and I smile as I turn to the tiny cat who is strapped to my chest as if he were a baby.

"Yes, of course, Cain gets dinner too." I look down on the tiny kitten and I gaze into those emerald eyes which are the same color that his were. It's a strange coincidence but maybe it was the deciding factor between Cain and another kitten. As soon as I've put the bags down on the floor, I take Cain and set him down on his paws. "You be a good little boy, okay?" I ask him and he meows up at me, looking at me knowingly.

"Come on, let's…" Ana says to Cain who follows me into the kitchen, perhaps he's hungry and he knows that that's where his food is. Ana follows after us and I turn to open up some of the kitten food that we bought. I hear Ana laughing and figure that this kitten is enough to help her cope with some of the grief from Kuon's death. As I'm filling a second bowl with water, I hear something fall down and a gasp. I turn and my heart seems to break as Cain crawls out from underneath that emerald green apron.

…..

…..

 _I'm standing by myself in the kitchen looking over a recipe book for what I can make Ana and myself for dinner. Kuon doesn't eat very much anymore and I know that the surgeries and treatment could be going far better. He mainly drinks smoothies with blended foods. I want to help him with whatever I can but all I can do is follow the list that the doctor provided me._

 _I stare at the stockpot in front of me and start to put in oil and the stock base before hearing the sound of vegetables being chopped beside me. I turn to the side slowly and see Kuon smiling as he slices through an onion. I don't want him to strain himself._

" _I've got this," I tell him nervously. I hate how I can see his bones almost poking out of his skin, the way he's holding onto the counter with the other hand, the marks over his body which are the result of the therapies he's been through. "Kuon, why don't you sit down? Get some rest?"_

" _I've got this," he attempts to smile to me and I reach out, adjusting his apron so it's on properly. I hate to admit that Kuon has to have help with nearly everything these days. As independent as he once was, we both know he needs a miracle to get his health to stop declining even more rapidly. "I want to cook together," he says in a weak and quiet voice._

 _I hate over worrying about him and if he wants to help, I'll let him._

" _How about if you take care of washing the other vegetables," I suggest as I point out the instructions on the recipe, "and use the chair," I whisper and he does so. He turns to grab it but my heart pauses as he stops. He isn't moving the chair. "Corn," I start to tell him as I come over to him, "Are you okay?"_

" _I can't move it," he whispers and I look at his face. I know this isn't good. I turn the heat off on the stove and see his eyes start to lose focus. "Come on, sweetheart" I whisper as I try to take the apron off of him. I watch it fall to the ground and with all my strength I keep him from falling down with it. I know that all he wants to do is to help._

…

…

I pick the apron up and fold it, gently petting Cain's head as I do so. I make sure to press it down neatly as my hand moves over it and I can't help but start to weep. I should have packed this up with everything else but I hadn't noticed it. That was the last time that Kuon had helped me to cook, after that he had to spend most of his time either in bed here or at the hospital. He was too weak and his body was shutting down on him.

"I'm sorry sweetheart," I whisper as I try to stop the tears from falling down my cheeks. "You only ever tried to take care of us. That's what you always did. You always made sure to take care of us." I kiss the apron and see Cain's emerald eyes are wide and he's trying to push his head against the side of my body as if to calm me down.

"I want that" Ana tells me and I look at it before nodding.

"I'll put it away for when you're older," I tell her and Ana watches me. I try to catch the tears with my arm and laugh slightly. It would be nice to share it with her when she's older, when the memories that she has with her father have gone and it'll be a way to keep us connected to Kuon. I should have taken better care of him. I should never have let him help me that day.

"You wait right here," I tell Ana who seems to take more interest in Cain again.

As I enter my bedroom, I sit on the bed with the apron in my hands and the tears can't stop flowing. Kuon wasn't very good at cooking before we got engaged but then he would cook with me almost every night, he said he wanted to spend as much time together as he could and I wanted that too. Even though I would have thought him cooking at a restaurant was a bad idea, he was a great assistant to me in the kitchen and it was fun, it was enjoyable for us to cook together. "I'm sorry, sweetheart," I whisper as I kiss the apron and take in that lingering smell of Kuon. "I'm sorry that I couldn't save you."

I hear a noise at the door and am surprised to see the kitten there. Obviously, I'm this cat's favorite thing in the whole world. I put the apron down somewhere safe and then sit down, instantly the cat climbs into my lap. Should new pets be this trusting? Should I feel worried that this kitten is going to go to a random stranger and ask to be taking into _their_ home.

"You're not like a regular cat, are you?" I ask and the cat shakes its head in response.

I freeze.

The cat just shook its head as if it were answering my question. I'm imagining things. I'm in a heightened emotional state and I'm not seeing things clearly. The cat turns to me and puts its front paws on my chest, he rubs his head against my cheek. This is probably one of those familiars that witches are said to have. That would make sense with it being Maria.

"So, you're not just a regular kitten, are you?" I ask as I scratch Cain's head and he shakes his head again. I wonder if I'm supposed to freak out and be scared by this cat. A normal person would be. However, in many stories and fairytales there are animals who have powers that other animals don't and that pet store seemed to be the type of place where that would happen. It's not as if this is the soul of my husband trapped inside of a cat.

"You're here to help me with something aren't you?" I ask and the cat meows which I'm going to take as an affirmative answer. "Sorry for treating you like you're stupid. Is the name Cain okay?" the cat nods and I pet him again. So magic is real and so witches do like cats as their familiars. It's strange and a little unnerving but…does this mean that I might actually get to learn how to contact the dead. Will I be able to make sure that Kuon is safe in whatever afterlife might exist.

I see the cat wander from me and stare at me with those amazing emerald eyes. Maybe this was some of the magic that Kuon possessed with his eyes the same shade. Was Kuon actually a warlock? No. I'm getting too deep into this. I need to take a breath and step back to look at the situation properly.

I sigh and then see the cat jump onto the bookshelf and stand next to a picture I have of me with Kuon's arms wrapped around me. I see the cat look at the picture and my heart hurts in my chest. I don't want to think that this cat has seen bad things happen to Kuon and I have to jump into some crazy scenario to save him…although if that meant that Kuon was back in the world of the living, I would take him in whatever form.

I look down and feel a little guilty admitting this to Cain but I whisper, "I miss him."

My heart stops in my chest at the next thing I'm seeing. The light from the window comes and the sunlight reflects on Cain's face as those enchanting emerald eyes turn to a burnt sienna just as Kuon's have always done.

 **End of Chapter Three**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Two**

H-Nala, Kaname671


	4. Chapter 4 - Dad

**Chapter Four - Dad**

Does she understand it? She's looking at me as if she understands that inside this kitten's body, I have the soul of her husband. It's going to make things easier if she gets that and Kyoko's smart, if anyone could figure it out then it would be her.

Kyoko looks down and then whispers, "I miss him." I want her to know that I'm right here and though we can never have the relationship that we once did, I'll stay by her as a source of comfort. Kyoko watches me as I step into the sunlight and then reaches for me. She gets it, right? She understands in that fantasy mind of hers.

"You can help me find Kuon's spirit," she says as she picks me up from the shelf. "He's got some unfinished business and you've been sent her to help me find him." She hugs me close and I sigh as she carries me back to where Ana is. Right now it's close enough. She hasn't found the correct answer that _I_ am actually her husband but we're on the right track.

"Ana," she calls out before we hear the doorbell ring and I look towards it.

They were expecting somebody? Kyoko sets me down on the floor and I look after her. Where is she going? I sit down and have the strange urge to clean my face so I lick my paw and push it over my eyes. This is natural cat behavior and natural cat behavior is just going to sink me into deeper trouble. I hear Ana squeal and look up to her. Does she know who it is?

I feel myself freeze at Kyoko's next words, "Father," she says and I try to look over there. Is Dad over there? Maybe he could help me. "How are you? We weren't expecting you today."

"Is that a…." Dad says shakily and I wander over. Dad has never really been one that's been nervous. His acting has always given him a bold personality and yet as I see him he doesn't look like himself. He looks so much older despite the fact that it's only been four months. He's got a beard, his eyes have bags under them and he's completely dressed in black and a little bit of grey. He looks thin. Dad's always had a lot of muscle and though he has never looked fat, he hasn't looked this much like a ghost.

"Is that a problem?" he asks as he tries not to choke on a sob that's threatening to come.

"Not a problem at all," Kyoko replies and Ana runs towards him. He forces himself to smile as he takes his granddaughter into his arms.

"Grandfather! I'm so happy to see you," she says and Dad squeezes her close in the same way that he used to squeeze me when I was a child. He kisses the top of her head and affectionately pushes her hair back. Dad's eyes move to the memorial that Kyoko has for me and he shivers again. I watch the three of them. Dad hasn't recovered as well as they have. It's been four months, he should be doing better than this by now.

"I'm happy to see you too," Dad tells her. "You'll have to tell me a lot of stories," he laughs. "I'm looking forward to hearing how you've been."

"Why don't you go wash up," Kyoko tells Ana, "I'll help Grandpa with his things." Ana nods before going off to do so. Kyoko sees Dad get up slowly before he turns to the memorial and I'm stuck just being an observer.

"Hi," Dad says despite only talking to a couple of photographs. "I'm so sorry," he whispers and I tilt my head to the side. "I didn't protect you well enough, I didn't work hard enough to find the cure. I love you, Kuon. I hope I did a good enough job that you knew how much I love you."

"He _did_ know, Father," Kyoko tells him as she gives him a side hug. "He loved you too. It's not your fault that he's gone, it's not anyone's fault, he fought for as long as he could and he didn't stop fighting. He was even trying to fight when he died but sometimes the opponent is stronger…especially if it's an illness."

…

…..

" _Please be careful of him, he's very weak," the doctor says as he stands in the doorway and I can't work out who he's talking to. My eyes hurt and I can't open them very far. Maybe if I was a little stronger I could figure out what happened and what's going on. I can't speak. My mouth is covered by a respirator mask and I feel that most of my pain is gone because of the medicine they're using._

" _I understand," I hear my dad say and smile softly, "My wife will be here soon."_

 _Dad walks over to me once the doctor has led him into the room and he puts a hand to my shoulder. I close my eyes feeling the comfort of that. "Hey, my son" he tells me and I can feel how much weight I've lost as he has his hand on me. "They tell me that you aren't doing so well today. Is it okay if I sit with you," he says and I slowly nod my head, my eyes opening a little._

 _I hate not being able to do much but I feel far too weak to do anything._

" _Kuon, I'm here," he tells me as he sits beside me silently and I hear the heart monitor beep signaling that I'm still alive. Dad tries hard to cover up a sob but it still leaks out. "I'm sorry if I haven't been a good father to you," he says and I try to reach out to him but it's hard. I can barely let my fingers move off the side of the bed. Dad takes my hand in his._

" _It's okay," he tries to tell me, he bows his head and I know he doesn't agree with whatever he's to say next. "If it's more painful to fight then it's okay to let go. Nobody will blame you for letting go. Some of the most important people in history had to let go. I'll make sure to protect them if you need to let go," he says and I can see the tears shimmering in his eyes._

 _He's the first person to tell me this although if he's saying it then I'm sure that Kyoko is thinking it as well._

" _I am so proud of you, Kuon" he tells me and I can see the love mixed with the heartbreak in his eyes. "I am so proud to be your father."_

…

…

Even if all Dad sees when he looks at me is some random cat, I have to see him. I want to make sure for myself that my father is okay and that he's surviving because from what I saw earlier, I'm unsure. I push with my front paws and make the door open as Dad is sitting looking at a picture of me with him and Mom when I was a kid. This was taken the first time I went to see him acting.

Dad is paler than usual, his clothes don't fit as well and I've never known Dad to be anything other than clean shaven but his beard is proving me wrong. I sit in front of him and tilt my head to the side. As he puts the picture down he looks at me surprised.

"I didn't hear you come in," he tells me and I nod which makes him look a bit surprised. "You're new here, right? A new addition," I nod again and Dad freezes. He reaches out to touch me and without knowing it, I start purring. "Are you actually having a conversation with me?" he asks and I nod again.

Dad's jaw drops. He looks up. "I must be going mad," he tells me and then watches me. I put my paw on the picture of myself as a kid and meow to him. "Oh, that's my son," he says slowly still in disbelief of who he's communicating with. "He died a few months ago. He got really sick."

I look at him and meow but I know that Dad doesn't understand. This is just like Kyoko. I will never have a way of making him listen. I look at the iPad that he has with him and fortunately it's open. I try to put my paw on it but nothing happens. I tap it harder but it comes out with a jumble of letters.

I give an annoyed meow without realizing and Dad quickly grabs the tablet, staring at me as if I'm something out of a horror movie. He calms his breath before launching an app that I forgot about. It has big letters that he used to teach Ana with. The letters are only big enough so all of them can fill the screen but at least I can try to write.

I pick up a pen between my teeth, trying to get used to the strange feline jaw that I now have. I have to test it a few times before making the words, o-I a-m-m k-l-u-u-o-n-n-n

Dad looks at me with wider eyes as if he's not believing any of this but doesn't know how else a cat could type such a message. He stares at it and then stares at me, "You are Kuon?" he asks and I nod with a sigh of relief. Dad looks back at the iPad and then at me. I know he's in complete disbelief. "Like you're possessed by Kuon's spirit?" he asks and I shrug. Dad runs a hand over his face. "I've gone crazy. This is madness. It can't be happening."

I sigh. Maybe I shouldn't have tried after all. I turn to the side and the light catches my face again. At least I can appreciate the warmth of it despite not really being with my family. Dad stares at me in wonder and I turn back to him. He's twitching. I know this is weird but is he starting to believe it?

"Kuon?" he asks as he rubs my cheek with his finger and I nod before starting to purr. "You're not going to attack me, right? This isn't like one of those King novels where…"

I stare at him. I have no reason to attack him but I also don't know why I'm now in this body. I sigh and shake my head before jumping down. He immediately picks me up and looks at me, he's staring at me the way that one would typically stare at a ghost.

"You're Kuon?" he asks me and I nod again. His jaw opens and closes a couple of times but he pulls me to chest. He stands up before walking with me to where Kyoko is. He looks around quickly for Ana. "Is it just the two of us?" he asks and Kyoko nods.

"What do you know about this cat?" he asks and Kyoko smiles as she washes her hands.

"He told you too. He's a familiar. He's here to help me get in contact with Kuon again," she says and Father shakes his head before putting me on a stool and my choices are to either jump down or sit there. I decide to just observe.

"I don't think it's a medium," Dad says as he pushes his hand through his hair and I know that he's trying to hold onto that feeling of sanity. "I think that it's actually Kuon."

Kyoko looks between us absolutely speechless.

 **End of Chapter Four**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to Kaname671 for reviewing Chapter Three**


	5. Chapter 5 - He's Still Kuon

**Chapter Five – He's Still Kuon**

I look at Father unsure what to make of what he says. He's telling me that the cat that has come to us has my husband's, my love's, spirit inside of him. I knew that he had something special to him but I just believed he was a channel to Kuon. I blink as I look at the cat again. He does have Kuon's blond hair, he does have his green eyes as well. He look to Father again unsure what to make of his words or how to respond but I turn to the cat and crouch down.

I reach my hand out and the cat comes and pushes his head against my hand. Tears are in my eyes and I don't want to show this kind of pain to Kuu-sama. "Kuon?" I ask as I take the kitten into my own arms. I am surprised when he nods. "You're really Kuon?" I ask in disbelief before sitting down and place the cat into my lap.

"Look at me," I command as the cat does so and I gently scratch him beneath his chin. Cats enjoy that kind of affection, right? "Can you talk?" I ask and he responds with a meow that has the same amount of syllables as my name but it's in a cat's meow.

"Father do you really think?" I ask him and Father smiles to me in a melancholy manner. The cat tries to look me in the eyes and then presses his cheek against mine, nuzzling me affectionately. Maybe the world knew how much I wanted to care for my husband and is giving me a second chance to do so. "Do you know, where you proposed to me?" I ask and the cat nods before meowing again.

I look at Father helplessly but Father puts a finger up and when he comes back I see that he's written down all the simple katakana. He puts in in front of us and the cat jumps down. He carefully puts his paws to the characters and spells out 'Corn's Forest'. I gasp and put a hand over my mouth. Not many people know I call it Corn's Forest and all of those people are alive and close friends to us. It's our special place.

"What did you say you most admired about me when we were first getting to know each other at LME?" I ask him and the kitten moves his paw around to spell out the words meaning my guts. I look at him one last time, feeling a pain inside of my chest. "What character did I play when I kissed you in Guam?"

The cat looks to me and puts his paws on the characters to form the words, high priestess.

Either this cat is very intelligent and has been spying on my entire relationship with Kuon or my husband has been reincarnated as a kitten. A kitten with full memories of his own but one who can only speak through meows and purrs.

"Kuon," I sob as I hold my finger out and pet him. I don't know how I'm ever going to be able to let this cat out of my sight again. I gently hook my fingers under his front legs, holding his belly with my thumbs. "Hi, my love," I cry as I study him. He does look healthy at least but at the same time he is a cat. He's an innocent kitty who still has my precious husband inside of him.

I look around before spotting a bag that I can carry him around in. I turn to Father. "I have to go out, do you think you can watch Ana for me?" I ask and Father nods. I walk over to the bag and carefully place Kuon down inside of it, grabbing a sweater so that he has something soft that he can sleep on if he needs to. "Thank you, I'll be back as soon as I can," I tell him and Father smiles sadly as I put my shoes on, grab my purse and bolt out. "It's okay, my love," I try to assure him. I know that nobody apart from our family and those unrelated to us but that we still consider family will know that Kuon's spirit is inside of this cat but I still love him. It's impossible for me to love anyone else.

…..

…..

As I sit in the vet's office, my fingers running through Kuon's coat, I see a dog approach us. He barks loudly and wags his tail, sniffing at the bag. I am trying with everything within me to control my anger and not take it out on the puppy. It makes sense that a puppy would want to chase a cat but that means I have to try even harder to protect my husband. I know that it's wrong to call him that but I refuse to think of him as just a pet.

"Could you control your dog?" I ask as the dog barks again and I look inside the bag to where Kuon has curled up into a fearful position. "It's okay," I try to remind him before looking at the dog again. I didn't ask for this stupid mutt to come up to us. "Whoever this dog's owner is, can you please take him away?" I ask and a woman comes up to me. She's dressed in stylish clothes and looks like she's an important member of a business. She doesn't pay me much attention but I'm not the most recognizable celebrity.

"Do you have a cat in the bag?" the woman asks me and I give her a firm look.

"So what if I have a cat in the bag," I argue. "We're just sitting here, minding our own business. I have a responsibility to care for my kitten," I tell her though I'm definitely aware that she doesn't know just how big of a responsibility I feel to protect him. This is my love. I'm sure if her love was in that dog she'd be acting more cautiously.

"He just wants to play," the woman argues and I gently stroke Kuon's cheek wanting to make sure that he feels calm and not attacked. I glare at the woman before looking at the dog and return my glare to the snobbish woman. Even if I look like a defiant witch, I'm going to protect my reincarnated husband with every breath in my body.

"Let him play afterwards. My kitten needs to be given a checkup. He isn't hurting anyone by just being in this bag," I argue and the woman rolls her eyes and then summons her dog to heel and walks away. I look at Kuon as he timidly starts to move forward. He turns to look at me and I stare into those gorgeous emerald eyes.

"They're gone," I tell him. "Listen, you've always protected me so let me protect you from this time on," I tell him and he gives a tiny meow which makes more dogs pay attention to him. I should be able to safely keep him here, to take him to the vet's office without problem but there are cats in this world and dogs in this world. I just want to do whatever I can to show him love and show him acceptance.

"Kyoko-chan," the vet calls out and I stand up. I know a few people recognize me but all that I can pay attention to is Kuon. "Didn't we just see you recently?" the vet asks and I nod.

"I had some second thoughts," I tell them innocently and I know that despite it meaning that he might have shots and small moments of pain, I want anything and everything to protect him that money can buy. "I need to take more care of him," I tell them before looking down upon Kuon. "I love you, sweetheart" I whisper and he purrs. I just want him happy and healthy. That isn't too much to ask, is it?

…

…

" _Hizuri-san," the doctor tells me as I sit in their office. I don't want to be in the office, I want to be with Kuon. I need to be with my husband as he lays in a hospital bed feeling weak and dehydrated. I need to make sure that he's okay and protect him but the doctor tells me that this is important and I have to trust them and believe them. "We need to discuss your husband's treatment plan."_

 _I feel my back straighten. Usually this is something that we will be told together so I don't know why I'm here by myself. Kuon should be the one making decisions about his health. "Is there something wrong?" I ask as I watch them and the doctor sighs._

" _His body isn't reacting to the drugs in the way that we hoped," he says and I look at him. This is the third treatment plan that has failed. There has to be another one. I want to know that there is another one, there has to be another one. "I'm thinking that -"_

" _What's next?" I ask desperately. "Any amount of money…it doesn't matter the amount of money," I say desperately and he shakes his head. "I'm serious. There has to be -"_

" _There is nothing left. All we can do is try to make sure that Kuon is as comfortable as possible during the next four to six months," he tells me and I pale. I can't believe that it's come to this. Kuon only has a number of months to live._

 _I look at him weakly. I can't believe this. I don't have to believe this right?_

" _I'm really sorry about this, I wanted to cushion the blow for when Kuon is informed of the news. I hope that you can be a support to him during the remainder of his life._

 _I feel like throwing things or vomiting or a mixture of the two but instead all I can do is look ahead of me in complete disbelief and nod like an idiot. I can't believe that there's nothing left, no hope for the future. Darn it. I'm spoiling him. I don't care if he protests, I'm going to try to make any time he has left with us as happy as possible. I need for him to be happy in those last moments I can be with him._

…..

…..

As Kuon gets the last shot into the side of his body, I kiss the back of his head lovingly. I wanted to make sure that he can live the entirety of this next life. I know that I am never going to fall in love with anyone else. I am done with love and if my love is a cat then that is the only love I need. I kiss him again as I thank the vet and book the next appointment for him to have a checkup.

"Thank you," I say honestly as I leave the office and hear the dogs barking at him again trying to scare and intimidate him. As we get back to the car, I look down into the bag where he has stretched himself out. "I love you," I tell him again and start to drive home. I have to look up cat toys and treats and food. I'm not going to treat him like a regular animal because he's not a regular animal. He's Kuon.

"I promise you that you're still my Kuon," I tell him and I let him lick my fingers. It's not too much of a want to see him happy and to take care of him. I mean, I'm a celebrity, if I request something that isn't completely unreasonable they'll usually let me so I can take him with me to work. I just want to be with him always, that isn't too much to ask, is it?

 **End of Chapter Five**

 **Thank you for reading, reviews are appreciated**

 **Thank you to the reviewers of Chapter Four**

Brennakai, Kaname671


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